UWG’s MBA, Georgia WebMBA Ranked Top in the World by CEO Magazine

CEO Magazine has ranked the University of West Georgia’s MBA program as a Tier 1 program in their
2016 Global Online MBA Rankings. The online magazine also ranked the Georgia WebMBA
program, which is offered at UWG, 12th in the world and fifth in the nation.

The 2016 rankings were tallied measuring the learning environment, class sizes, tuition
fees, faculty, delivery methods, international diversity, gender make-up and other
factors of more than 100 business schools across North America, Europe and Australia.
According to CEO Magazine, the objective of the rankings is to highlight schools that merge a quality education
with great return on investment.

“Our MBA program at the Richards College of Business strives to quickly respond to
the trends identified in the regional market place,” said Dr. Doug Turner, UWG MBA
program director. “This practice allows us to tailor and modify courses to the betterment
of the students. We continually search for new and viable courses and tracks to maximize
student success.”

The Richards College of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate
Schools of Business (AACSB) International, and students have the advantages of a small
faculty to student ratio and unique internship opportunities.

“At UWG, we are in the business of preparing forward-thinking, responsible leaders
through education, engagement and experiences,” said Dr. Faye McIntyre, dean of UWG’s
Richards College of Business. “This ranking from CEO Magazine shows we make student success a top priority.”

The Georgia WebMBA also received top marks and shares the ranking list with top business
colleges, including SBS Swiss Business School, Pepperdine University and European
University.

“While rankings are not our goal, they are the result of excellence in curriculum,
highly qualified and productive faculty, and staff that continue to innovate and improve
the program,” said McIntyre, who is also lead dean of the Georgia WebMBA. “Students
and employers look for third-party evaluations such as accreditation and rankings
to validate quality. Other indicators of success include a graduation rate of over
90 percent and numerous positive recommendations from those who have gone through
the WebMBA.”

The Georgia WebMBA is offered through Columbus State University, Georgia College,
Georgia Southern University, Kennesaw State University, UWG and Valdosta State University.
The six-school consortium gives students in Georgia and around the world access to
a premiere MBA degree, with the flexibility to take classes anywhere, anytime.

“The Georgia WebMBA is unique in its consortium format,” McIntyre said. “All professors
teaching in the program have doctoral degrees, and the vast majority have industry
experience as well. Faculty members receive special training in online teaching to
translate classroom skills to the virtual format. Our students work with the best
faculty from all six universities.”

McIntyre stressed the advantages to students who participate in the innovative program.

“Our virtual classroom reflects real-world working environments perhaps more so than
most traditional programs,” McIntyre said. “The person sitting in the office next
to you is probably not going to have the same background or life experiences as you.
Engaging with diverse students in the WebMBA program exposes students to diverse cultures,
thought processes and customs that will help broaden their perspective on the world.
That is vital in today’s global marketplace.”